|
So we're back this week with two Ivy games.
Columbia hosts Cornell, and Brown travels to Yale. We get to see if the contenders (Columbia and Yale) continue to hold serve. Lines will come out tomorrow, so we'll wait for the official picks until then, but some things I'll be watching.
Can Columbia play defense?
Ivy games tend to be possession precious. Teams are really familiar with one another and as a result defense tends to be really tough. Columbia has one of the better offenses in the league, but struggles defensively. As they have to play more of a half court game in league play, how will they react? Will they give up easy buckets?
This may be even more important to watch this weekend. Last year, Columbia's two lowest scoring games of the year were against Cornell. They didn't break 50 either game.
Does Yale establish itself as the favorite?
As we discussed, Yale was positioned for a breakthrough last season, but saw it all come crashing down in heartbreaking fashion. Even as a fan of a rival, I felt a skosh of sympathy for the Elis. This year, they've been destroying inferior teams. Brown is an inferior team. If they continue their path of destruction, they will essentially put the league on notice that they intend to finish last year's work.
How good is Makai Mason?
Yale's guard has a chance to be a really, really good Ivy League player. He came on strong at the end of last season and has improved this season. This really relates to the last question, but if he continues to play at this level as the Ivy grind kicks in, it really could be a run away for Yale.
Is Alex Rosenberg healthy?
If so, Columbia can battle for the league title. If not, they could slip out of the top four. Let's see if and how much he plays tomorrow.
Outside of these two games, Harvard plays the Howard Bison and Dartmouth gets its D3 battle vs. Pine Manor. By the way, Harvard put away Canadian Ryerson on Tuesday night 73-57.
|